Aakozi’ma’gut Kima’Maa’anun – Mother Earth is Sick

art is by Bruce K. Beardy

The “Mother Earth is Sick” project examines the impact of environmental change on Anishinaabe communities. Key to this project is ensuring that the local and traditional knowledge and children perspectives are at the heart of the identification and discussions of environment-risks and adaptation planning. This is a child-friendly, gender sensitive, and culturally informed project that aims to ensure a holistic view of the relationships between community and environment in order to empower community members to better understand and respond to the current and future effects of environment changes on themselves, their families, and their community.

The “Mother Earth is Sick” Project has four main goals:

Increased understanding of climate change impacts and risks, including who is vulnerable, why and how.

Increased capacity of the communities to conduct child-friendly and gender-sensitive community participatory planning for other future initiatives and projects.

Increased sense of community ownership and leadership on climate change adaptation and disaster management.

Facilitated through Community Concept Mapping and Photovoice, communities will be empowered to provide a values-based perspective on environment change, risk identification, and adaptation planning processes/reports. When the community vulnerability assessments and adaption plans are completed by KCA, community leadership and other expert stakeholders will be able to create cost-benefit analysis reports. All data gathered from this project is created by and belongs to its community.

The project is currently in the planning and promotion phase and will be commencing Community Brainstorm Sessions between November 26th and December 21st. Community Sort/Rate, Concept Mapping, and Photovoice phases will begin in the New Year.

Mission Statement

Kenora Chiefs Advisory is committed and dedicated to providing culturally appropriate health and social services which address the needs and enhance the well being and capacity of community members in our affiliated First Nations.